Our Castle in England

I'm back in Minneapolis from my travels, so it is a priority to plan future travels.

Today I booked an entire English castle for 2016. It's just a little castle, actually a gatehouse, it's only for a week, and it costs about the same as two hotel rooms.

I want to introduce my nephews and their parents to the area I grew up in Northeastern England. Morpeth Castle is a good base. It dates from about 1350, and it has a parapet where an almost-9-year-old and an almost-8-year-old can imagine pouring boiling oil on invading forces.

I found myself putting together a document about the trip, including the following mundane details:

Time difference	+6 hours. Noon in Minneapolis is 6:00 p.m. in the UK.
Bags	We travel with what we can carry for one mile. Rick Steves has great ideas.  Mercifully the boys will be old enough; we probably won’t have to carry them.
Laundry	You might want to bring at least one set of quick-dry clothing that can be hand-washed. The castle does not have a washer and dryer, or, for that matter, a hair dryer. (It has a dishwasher, though.) A launderette in Morpeth does service washes (we drop off).
Internet	Morpeth Castle has no WiFi. (And no television.) Mobile Internet reception may be iffy. Free WiFi is often available in coffee shops, pubs, etc.
Food	You’ll find all the standard stuff: the  boys will not starve. There’s a Morrison’s supermarket in Morpeth (yes, they have a range of peanut butter), as well as smaller stores (butchers, bakers, etc.). We’ll probably, generally, eat dinner out; e.g., there’s plenty pubs.
Getting around	Foot, train, and bus.
Money	Your ATM card will work in the UK. Credit cards are as widely accepted as State-side. As in the States, Amex is not always accepted.
Language	I will be happy to interpret for you. I may not always understand, though.
Electricity	230v, so make sure you only bring dual-voltage devices.  I'll bring two UK outlet to USA non-grounded adapters. (Note the adapters do not change the voltage--they deliver the full 230v.)  I will also bring a USA multi-adaptor plug that will let us use two chargers with one UK outlet. (Note the adapter does not change the voltage--they deliver the full 230v.)

My experience is: if you take care of the mundane details, chances are the journey will be good.

Note: I took the photograph at the top of this post in 2012. Here's more photos from that reconnoiter visit.